Escaped wolf in South Korea recaptured, returned to zoo

A wolf named Neukgu was recaptured after a nine-day search involving drones and thermal cameras. Photo / Daejeon Metropolitan City, AFP

A wolf that escaped from a South Korean zoo was recaptured on Friday, authorities said, after he caused a school closure, a huge nine-day search and a government gaffe over an AI-generated image.

The young male canine, named Neukgu, dug himself out of his enclosure in the central city of Daejeon on April 8 and had been on the run since.

Authorities deployed hundreds of officers, drones and thermal cameras to track down the elusive runaway, who kept slipping through the net despite several sightings.

He was finally caught in the early hours of Friday, with the Daejeon city government writing on X: “Welcome back, #Neukgu!”

Authorities finally caught up with the 30kg fugitive after receiving a tip about a sighting in a park in Daejeon, the Yonhap news agency reported, citing city officials.

Officials shot Neukgu with a tranquiliser dart and captured him alive, it said.

The city government posted a video of night-time rescuers hauling a sleepy-looking Neukgu on to a sack and heaving him into a crate.

It posted photos on X of the shaggy returnee lying asleep on a veterinary bed with a muzzle over his snout.

“Veterinary examination results: Both pulse and body temperature are within normal range,” the post added.

“We would like to thank everyone who offered their support to ensure Neukgu’s safe and healthy return. We also apologise to the public for the anxiety and concern (this incident) has caused,” the government said in a statement.

Neukgu, who was born in 2024, made his daring breakout by digging out of his enclosure and damaging a fence on his way to freedom.

His escape prompted a local elementary school to close over safety concerns, and the local government dispatched hundreds of firefighters, police officers and military troops in a bid to get him back.

Animal rights activists called for better animal protection measures after the wolf’s return, noting a 2018 escape from the same facility in which a puma, Bborong, was reportedly shot dead.

“The fact that Neukgu has returned to his cage at the zoo does not signify a ‘happy ending’ to the incident,” the Korean Animal Welfare Association said in a statement.

After his escape, an image purporting to show a light-brown wolf trotting through a Daejeon intersection was shared widely online.

The city Government and several major media outlets widely shared the image, which turned out to have been generated by artificial intelligence.

An AFP analysis confirmed that the image was inauthentic.

AFP had initially redistributed the image and later withdrew it.

-Agence France-Presse